The Finish Line
by Durbe the Barian
Summary: That bracelet told a story Yugo would never mention.


Arc-V

The Finish Line

Friendship/Angst

Yugo, Yuzu

That bracelet told a story Yugo would never mention.

(Arc-V does not have D.T.B written on it, now does it?)

* * *

She had been his best friend since his first school day. She had been the one who helped him up when he was down, laughed at him when his Duel Runner exploded, and cheered for him whenever he won a duel. She was the only person who had never once, not even on purpose, gotten his name wrong.

Because she saw how important his name was to him.

Clear Wing Yugo was not to be underestimated. She knew that. And he was going to prove it by achieving his greatest dream.

To become the Duel Runner Champion.

And he wanted her to see him become that champion. They promised that they would see each other at the finish line.

They made it to the end. She lost in the semi-finals to a girl named Fochun. He won in the finals and fulfilled his dreams.

But he still couldn't see the finish line.

Because they took Rin away from him.

* * *

He scared people. He didn't know why or how. All he knew was he would black out and wake up with a nasty headache, a need to rest up, and a bunch of people staring at him.

No. He took that back. When he dueled against Yuto, nobody was there to watch it. Wait. Was there? He seemed to recall a fuzzy tomato poking out in his peripheral vision every once in a while.

Eh. Probably his imagination. Even if there was somebody there, once he snapped himself out of whatever had him, that somebody was gone.

But then again, so was he.

He had woken up in some pretty strange places in his life. Once, he even woke up under a broken streetlight. Rin told him it was an earthquake and he should have been grateful he was even alive. He got it, but didn't take her too seriously.

At least, until she threatened him with her Duel Runner. Then he took her plenty seriously.

Yeah. He woke up in some pretty odd places. But having to fish his Duel Runner out from the river was weird even for him.

* * *

He thought he finally found the finish line. He thought he finally found Rin again.

But it wasn't her.

It was someone else entirely.

Even after she corrected him, it took looking at her bracelet to make him realize it.

"That's not hers," he said to himself, digging his hand into his jacket pocket.

Then he produced a bracelet with a different color and style compared to the one the girl before him was wearing.

"Is that...Rin's?" the girl asked.

He looked at her, then back to the bracelet, then back to her again. "You're not Rin...are you?"

She shook her head. "My name is Yuzu."

Yugo couldn't help but sigh in defeat.

He hadn't seen the finish line.

He saw a false turn.

Great.

"Sorry for the mistake, then," he said. "I thought you were someone I know."

Turning to the side, he began to walk away. "Wait!" Yuzu called out, stopping him in his tracks. "What's your name?"

He looked back to her.

She looked just like Rin when she first asked for his name.

"Yugo," he answered.

"Yugo... Who is Rin?"

Such an innocent question, yet it hit him where it hurt the most. Biting his lip for a moment, he answered, "My friend." He looked to his boots. "My best friend."

Yuzu wanted to apologize for having asked that, but the sudden arrival of the Obelisk Force made such a want little more than a dream.

* * *

It was not long before Yugo could hardly remember a thing.

He could see himself trying to advance down a hallway, heavy winds blowing through the narrow passageways. Any attempt to move forward was met with failure. An extra strong gust even succeeded in throwing him to the ground, dirt filling his mouth.

Forcing himself onto his elbows, he spat the soil out and wiped his lip.

It was no good. He couldn't get any further. It was as if the wind had a mind of its own.

"_Yugo._"

Yugo blinked.

He recognized that voice. "Rin?"

A hand appeared from withing the wind, bringing a smile to his face.

_"__Yugo._"

"Rin!" he exclaimed joyously.

He tried to reach out to her, but suddenly the wind died and the hallway vanished.

Blinking once, he found himself in the middle of the dead city of Heartland.

Where he first met Yuto and their rivalry began.

"Wh-What the-? Rin? Rin, where are you?!"

"_Yugo!_"

"Rin!"

**Destroy.**

Yugo stopped.

That voice. He knew that one too.

"Clear Wing Synchro Dragon," he said through his teeth. "What's going on?!"

**Destroy.**

_"__Yugo!_"

The city was suddenly bathed in crimson fire. Gusts of wind assisted the conflagration, turning the flames into a powerful torrent. "What's happening?!" Yugo shouted. "Clear Wing! What are you doing!?"

**Destroy everything!**

"_Yugo!_"

That wasn't Rin anymore.

It was the other girl.

Yuzu.

"_Yugo! Stop it!_"

He shut his eyes and clapped his hands over his ears. "Stop!"

_"__YUGO!_"

* * *

"Yugo, stop it! You're not supposed to do this! You've won! Stop attacking them!"

Yugo blinked himself back into reality.

The place they had been transported to – the Ancient Ruins section of the Wonder Quartet – was torched, small flames licking the ground. The Obelisk Force was on the ground, barely able to move thanks to the wounds they had been dealt. He looked down at his hand. Clear Wing Synchro Dragon was glowing.

He looked to Yuzu.

She was terrified.

He knew the look.

Rin had it the first time he ever blacked out like that.

"Rin..."

His eyes felt heavy and he fell forward and into Yuzu's arms.

* * *

Yuya finally found them after the Battle Royal had officially ended. The Wonder Quartet had been deactivated, revealing Yuzu's location to be in an old pit that hadn't been filled yet. Yugo was unconscious, almost looking feverish. Yuzu was waving to Yuya, calling for any assistance he might be able to give.

Gongenzaka was the first to do go down. Being the strong man he was, he was successful in getting Yugo up to the rest of the team.

Mieru intended to be helpful, but looking at Yugo through her crystal apple didn't help matters at all.

Initially. But then she said something that gave them all cause for concern.

The darkness wasn't as powerful within him, she said, but it was there. And it was trying to eat him alive.

Yuya looked down to Yugo.

Not as obvious, but there just the same.

"Yugo..."

* * *

"_Yugo!"_

_Yugo looked to Rin through blurry eyes. The broken city of Heart-Whatever was behind her, and growing smaller as she raced towards him. She was pale; frightened. She just wanted the nightmare to end and wake up back at home so she could start up her usual routine._

_It made sense. The two of them were in a strange place, caught in the middle of some crazy war. He'd seen pictures of the trashed city of New Domino. The dead home of the great Yusei Fudo._

_This place looked a heck of a lot like it. The only major differences were the people were meaner, evident by the throbbing sensation in the back of his skull, and there was a tower with a heart on the top that had been broken in two._

_Yugo blinked in his effort to stay awake._

_What had he done? Where had he taken the two of them? Did he take Rin to the past? A future nobody wanted to see? Or another world entirely?_

_He didn't know. It hurt too much to think straight. _

_Just then, a purple dragon suddenly appeared behind her, claws ready to snatch her. "Rin... Run away...," he begged, reaching a weakened hand out towards her._

_The dragon grinned, then snatched Rin away before she could do as he demanded of her. _

_Yugo's eyes widened as the dragon then vanished into nothingness, her bracelet falling to the ground._

_"__RIN!"_

* * *

He slammed his hand against the wall of the room Yuya and his friends had given him.

He hadn't found the finish line. He hadn't found Rin.

All he had was bad nightmares and memories he couldn't shake.

And a bracelet that was but a single string to that which he held most precious.

"Don't worry," said his red-haired lookalike. "We'll be sure to get your friend back. And Ruri too."

Yugo didn't know this 'Ruri' person, but he supposed he couldn't argue about it.

If they helped him find Rin, he'd be willing to work with them.

Just as soon as he remembered where the heck he left his Duel Runner.

* * *

**D.T.B: Welcome to Theory Corner. Review box is on the opposite end. Please make sure you don't throw any lit matches in there and enjoy your reading experience.**


End file.
